Disclosed herein are organogel compositions comprising alkylated benzimidazolone compounds and organic liquids.
An organogel is a three-dimensional network of non-covalently interacting molecules with interstitial spaces filled by organic liquid. Low molecular weight organogels are a rapidly developing class of such materials, in which small molecular building blocks can self-assemble via non-covalent interactions (i.e., hydrogen bonding, pi-stacking, van der Waals, metal-ligand, or the like) into nano or microscale assemblies that can further organize into a three-dimensional network capable of rigidifying entire fluids at very low concentrations.
The “bottom up” self-assembly of molecular building blocks into nanostructured materials has attracted significant interest for advanced materials research. Nanostructured materials with controlled size, shape, and function are important for numerous industrial applications. Low molecular weight organogels are a rapidly developing class of such materials, in which small molecular building blocks self-assemble into hydrogen-bonded assemblies that can form a three-dimensional network capable of rigidifying entire fluids at very low concentrations. The use of organogel materials is diverse and spans many applications such as medicine, electronics, printing, personal care, and environmental remediation. Although a large number of organogelator compounds have been reported by many researchers, the rational design and synthesis of new organogelators remains a significant challenge since the gel properties in a given liquid cannot be predicted from the molecular structures alone. In addition, not all self-assembling nanostructures form gels when placed in contact with a liquid.